Not since the waiting for Franco's death has such a long over due death rattle been provided for public amusement. The soon to be published circulation figures for the LA Times will show a 5.5% circulation decline in just ONE year! And on the bad news side (for the LAT, at least) - single copy sales are dropping even more rapidily than that.
However on the good news side - for those us us who actually live in LA as opposed to just visiting it - the LAT's solution to this is the same as always. Bring in lots more out of towners who know and care nothing about this city! I mean - is there ANYBODY left in Chicago??
Though, to give credit where credit is due - the editorial page's pointless ramblings and Steve Lopez's mind numbing columns about himself can in no way be faulted in driving readers from the LAT in ever increasing numbers. At least at the LA Times -- failure is always a team effort!
http://slate.msn.com/id/2116601/
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You've really got to wonder how much the employees of LA Times even care. Wednesday's issue had a front page above-the-fold article about congressmen like Boxer do what DeLay did and hire relatives in their Politcal Action Committees and campaigns.
The funny part is the beginning of the article, the part that was on the front page, just re-told the DeLay issues. It wasn't until you went to page A15 that you saw Boxer's picture and her story.
These reporters aren't dumb; they literally chose to make liberals like themselves, and people they talk to at lunch, feel good. That's more important to them than presenting facts in a way that's not insulting, for those readers who just want to know what is going on.
They don't care if fewer people read the paper.
But, what, if anything, will take its place? Won't the Tribbies just keep cuttng and cutting? Beyond the fact that it's often short on news and facts (like forgetting to report on the serial killer rampaging around South Central), it's a prissy old thing, the LA Times. Where's our gossip? Where's our trash? Where's some plain old good writing and interesting thinking? Sure, there is some, but far too little. They stick Joel Stein in there on Sundays like lipstick on a whore, as if it's going to color up the whole paper.
Also, any idea how happy Tribune is with John Carroll? Is he likely to stay? How about some of the rest of the old guard in management there in the various sections?
PS I do hear good things about the new editor of the LA Times Magazine.
I think the Trib is talking pretty to shore up their stock prices and then will dump the LAT whenever they can work it out.
When that happens, I propose a "wake" at Felipe's.
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